AUG 22. 1903 



XI. On the Ncio Zealand Phijllohranchiafe Crustacea-IIacrnra. 

 By George M. Thomson, F.L.S. 



(Plates 27-29.) 



Rend 17th April, lOOi'. 



1 HE proposed publication of a V)iographical census oi' the New Zealand Tauna makes 

 it desirable to supervise many groups of animals, the memliers of whicli have been 

 imperfectly described and in many cases incorrectly named. No groups liave suffered 

 more in this respect than the Crustacea, and, as a small contribution to our knowledce of 

 this part of the fauna, I have lately been examining the Prawns and Shrimps of these 

 islands, and find that very consideral)le revision is required in orfl(>r to classify them 

 correctly. 



In Miers's ' Catalogue of the New Zealand Crustacea,' published in 1876, a summary of 

 the then known species was given. Twelve species of Phyllobranchiate Macrura are 

 there briefly described, but some of these are doubtful or incorrect. Rhynchocinetes 

 iypus, a species stated to be found also on tlie coasts of Australia and Chile, is introduced 

 into the list of New Zealand species on the authority of Britisli ]\Iuseum specimens. 

 Haswell also introduces it into the list of Australian Crustacea, apparently taking his 

 description from Miers's Catalogue. No collector has, so far as I know, met with this 

 species in this Colony, nor does it occur in any of the various local museums. I think, 

 therefore, that its inclusion in our fauna is a mistake. I have recently received specimens 

 of this very distinct and beautiful species from Mr. David G. Stead, of Sydney. 



Again, Heller, in the Crustacea of the ' Novara ' (p. 105), describes a Slirimp from 

 Auckland, without any reference to its habitat, as CarkUna cnrcirostrls. This turns out 

 to be the same as mj Leander jlitviatilis; but both names are equally incorrect. The 

 species is found only in fresh water, and belongs to the genus Xiphocarls. 



The inclusion of Atya 2)llipes in the New Zealand fauna is due to an error, as first 

 suggested by Miers himself, since the species is found in the Mid-Pacific islands, but not in 

 New Zealand. Spence Bate (' Challenger ' Report, p. G9;3) also states that Atya arnuda 

 and Atya splnipes occur in New Zealand, but this is probably also an error. 



Of tlie remaining species in Miers's Catalogue, Alpheus nuvce-zealandice was described 

 by him from specimens in the British Museum. This species does not appear to have 

 been met with since, but this only emphasizes the fact that so few examples of the 

 Crustacea occur in our local museums. 



The 'Challenger' collections added twelve species, belonging to seven genera, to 



SECOND SERIES.— ZOOLOGY, VOL. VIII. (33 



